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DNA's physical properties may shape which mutations evolution preserves
Nearly every cell in the human body contains essentially the same genetic information, yet different cells activate different genes. For regulatory proteins to reach these genes, DNA must be accessible.
AI Summary
Researchers are investigating how DNA’s physical properties—its shape, flexibility, and capacity to interact with proteins—constitute a “physical code” that influences gene accessibility. The study, published in Communications, suggests that beyond the genetic sequence, these structural features affect how regulatory proteins reach and activate genes in different cells. This work highlights a potential mechanism by which cells selectively use the same genetic information.
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